Belper man’s car “drifted” into fatal crash on Mansfield road

An elderly woman was killed and her family seriously injured when a Belper man’s car drifted across the road in Mansfield and crashed into them, a court has heard.

Adam Edward Bull, 29, of Derby Road, Lower Kilburn, admitted causing death by careless driving when he appeared before magistrates in Mansfield on Wednesday.

The court heard Bull’s red Toyota Yaris was on Sherwood Way South, at around 2.45pm on March 6, when it hit a silver Mercedes on the opposite side of the road.

Ruth Snodin, prosecuting, said the Mercedes’ driver, Barry Young, had been travelling with his wife of 50 years, Erika, and their daughter Alison, and they were on their way to King’s Mill Hospital to visit their other daughter.

“Mr Young couldn’t say why it was on the other side of the road or how fast it had been going, but it must have been flying. His wife took the majority of the impact.”

The family were trapped inside the car until the ambulance teams arrived, while Bull was helped by a passerby, she said.

Mrs Young died four days later. A post-mortem revealed she suffered multiple injuries, which included fractured ribs, sternum and wrist, as well as hemorrhages in both lungs.

The court heard Bull’s mobile was not on at the time of the crash and a breath test, carried out two hours later, showed no alcohol in his system.

Mrs Snodin said Bull had been out drinking with friends the night before and was hungover when he fell asleep at the wheel.

Mr Young sustained numerous fractures and was delirious for three weeks after the crash. His daughter suffered rib and pelvis fractures and contracted pneumonia while in hospital.

David Cusack, mitigating, said there were no allegations of excess speed or bad driving.

He said it was not unusual in cases like this for defendants to have limited recollection.

He said Bull, who works in the marketing department of a local university, had only consumed a modest amount of alcohol the night before and had a decent night’s sleep.

But Mrs Snodin read out texts, sent three hours before the crash, in which Bull admitted being hungover.

Magistrates sent the case to Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on November 23, because of Mrs Young’s death and the injuries sustained by the family. Bull was given an interim ban from driving until then.